Forshadows in the Woods
by Elfytype
Summary: Chapter 3 is here!!!!!. After an eternity, I've updated!!This takes place before FotR in Mirkwood. Please r/r
1. Of Trees and Orcs

Disclaimer: okay people, you all know the spiel (can't spell, sorry) already. I don't own Legolas or Thranduil, but I made up the rest, so I do own them. If any of you guys feel compelled to write a story with any of them please ask me first, okay.

*Elirium is an Elven word that I made up. It means "Prince of Mirkwood and Heir to the Throne."

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Foreshadows in the Wood: Part 1

By Legolas (love my pen name!)

Legolas smiled into the gentle breeze blowing casually through the thick leaves of Mirkwood forest. The purling scent of lilac carried on the wind surrounded him, and eased his mind as to the things to come. He closed his eyes, and sighed, waiting for the inevitable that was to come. 

As he stood, the flecks of sunlight breaking through the leaves flickering on his handsome face, he heard the near silent sounds of someone approaching. 

"Elirium*,"said a voice from behind him. 

Legolas opened his eyes slightly and looked over his shoulder. "Yes, Jariel?" He asked, already knowing the answer to his question.

Jariel, a tall elf, dark of hair and light of eye, stood, looking grave, as he had a habit of doing. "The prisoner, Highness. He is prepared for his morning walk."

Legolas nodded and turned to face the captain of the guard. "Then we shall proceed then," Legolas replied, equally grim. "I only hope that his walks in our forest will at least aid in his recovery."

Jariel nodded and turned himself toward the east, where Legolas had faced. "I agree, Elirium. Yet, I fear he has far to go."

At that point, they both turned to the sound of soft feet on the forest floor, and they saw, approaching, a regiment of some ten elves, surrounding the topic of their conversation. The elves approached, and bowed at the shoulders in respect to their Elirium, and their captain. "We are ready, Highness." Came the voice of one of them.

Jariel nodded, and looked to Legolas, whose decision it was as to the time of their departure. Legolas nodded and turned toward the forest. "Then bring him." He said and started off, with Jariel at his side. The regiment surrounding the prisoner followed closely behind.

They walked with their unseen captive for several hours, nothing being heard of him except for the incessant hissing and other guttural noises that he was known to make at times. Legolas often had to force himself to call the prisoner, whom Aragorn had named Smeagol, a 'he' rather than an 'it'. He was repulsive, and it seemed that the touch of an elf to Smeagol's skin actually caused him physical pain. This, Legolas could not understand. From Aragorn's description, Smeagol was not evil, not in make, anyway.

As they walked through and under the boughs of Mirkwood, Smeagol would ask to stop now and again, asking if he could climb one tree or another, and always, the compassion in Legolas' heart would not allow him so deny this pitiful creature these moments of freedom. _The scent of the trees will do him good, _Legolas would think to himself. 

Jeriel was not as pleased with letting Smeagol climb so far away, however. "Elirium," He said, approaching Legolas, who was leaning against the tree in which the captive Smeagol climbed. "I do not have a good feeling about this." He looked up into the boughs of the tree with concern filling his ageless face.

Legolas looked at him and smiled a little. "Calm yourself, Jeriel." He relied. "He is letting his spirit be free. That will aid in his healing. So said Aragorn."

Jeriel sighed, not knowing whether or not Legolas was making the right decision. He knew that the peacefulness of the forest had a healing affect on anything that entered within it bounds, but his creature, it cried out in pain at anyone's touch. And he couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that was shadowing his mind and heart. Something was going to happen. His instincts had never been wrong before. Now, all he had to do was convince Legolas Elirium of this.

Nearly half an hour had passed when Legolas finally decided that Smeagol had been gone for too long. He looked up, searching the boughs of the tree, and could see nothing, save the shifting shadows of the leaves, and a few birds. There was no sign of Smeagol. Legolas stood out from the tree, looking suddenly concerned.

"Jeriel, I do not see the prisoner." He said, sounding belatedly worried.

"Now your concerns are piqued, Elirium?" He asked sarcastically, treating Legolas every bit like the ignorant little boy that he was. "He is gone, Legolas, and on your head, be it. You are no longer a boy."

"There will be time for such discussions later." Legolas snapped his voice suddenly becoming more commanding, and also sounding unaccustomed to being so. "First, we must relocate the prisoner." He called over two of the guards. "Search the surrounding trees," he commanded them. "He could not have gotten far."

The men had started to their task when Legolas froze. The wind and just changed direction, and he had caught on the breeze the scent of something he had hoped wouldn't have been a factor this day. He looked over to Jeriel, who appeared as though his mind was traveling down the same avenue. Legolas took hold of his bow and knocked and arrow, preparing for the now eminent attack, and nodded to Jeriel to take over command. Jeriel nodded, and began to whisper orders to the men to prepare for battle.

As he returned to his place at Legolas' side, the Elirium looked concerned. "Tell me, Jeriel," he whispered, not wanting to be heard by the guards, or by their soon-to-be attackers. "What do the Orcs want with us this day? We have let them be for many a month now."

"Yes, Highness. Their presence unnerves me as well." Jeriel looked confused as he gripped the hilt of his long Elven blade. "What could they possibly…"

His question was cut short by a shout from one of the guards as the Orcs made their presence known. They burst through the tree line with the force of a stampede, but Legolas noticed as he fired shot after shot into their ranks, they were not many. Only fifteen at the most. This was uncommon for a raiding party, and worried Legolas to no end. _What if they are not a raiding party, Legolas, _he asked himself. _No time to worry of that now! _

The Orcs were pressing the elves hard, for the elves were out-numbered. But, strangely enough, they did not attack long. They were as a tornado. They struck fast a furious, then retreated with the same speed with which they had appeared.

Legolas watched them leave, and when Jeriel asked to pursue them, Legolas denied him. 

Jeriel inquired. "Highness, why have we let them go?"

Legolas sighed. "Because they were not here to do us harm, Jeriel. They seemed to have some sort of purpose."

"Well, Elirium. Now is not the time to discuss such matters." Jeriel sighed and sheathed his sword. "Now, Highness, we must return and report the loss of the prisoner to your father."


	2. No-So-Many Meetings

"Welcome back, brother

Disclaimer: Okay, everybody. I noticed in the first disclaimer that I forgot to mention the fact that Smeagol is not my character either, and I seriously don't want to be sued. So, there, Smeagol isn't my character either. And also, for all of those who, well, I didn't tell anybody. Jeriel also isn't my character. A friend of mine, Tziganecelt, created him. I borrowed him for this story.

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Foreshadows in the Wood: Part 2

By Legolas

"Welcome back, brother!" Came the somewhat deeper voice of Adrolas, Legolas' younger twin brother. He stood near the gates of their father's halls, smiling pleasantly at his brother's return. As the small company approached, Adrolas' eyes narrowed. Noticing something was amiss; he pressed the subject as Legolas neared. "You seem to be missing something, dear brother." He said, looking down at his slightly shorter older brother.

Legolas, looking burdened by the fight with the Orcs and the prospect of reporting such a loss to his father, he replied without stopping. "We were attacked by Orcs, Adrolas." He said as he crossed the threshold into the dimly lit halls of their sylvan palace. 

Adrolas turned and began to walk beside him, as Legolas past. "Legolas," Adrolas said, more fervently than before. "What are you hiding from me?" He looked into his brother's storm-grey eyes. 

Legolas sighed and looked forward. "I hide nothing, brother." He said with a note of finality in his quiet voice. "I simply do not speak that which will only be repeating to our father. You shall know then." At that, Legolas sped along his way to their father's private chambers.

"Come in, my sons," Came the steady voice of their father, Lord Thranduil, from behind his study door. Legolas breathed a steadying sigh and pushed the door before him open, where it had only been ajar before, and entered, followed closely by his brother. Thranduil looked up upon their entrance and smiled welcomingly to his sons, then he directed his attention to his Elirium, noticing the regret etched in his ageless face' a face which was now marred by a small cut across his right cheekbone. Thranduil sat more erect. "You have something to report, Legolas?" He asked, sounding more Lordly than fatherly.

Legolas bowed at the shoulders along with his brother. "I do, my Lord." Legolas replied as officially as 750 years of procedures could muster forth from him. He truly despised reporting to his father anything, let alone bad news. He sighed. "The company sent to guard the prisoner," the prisoner, as they refereed to Smeagol, "Was attacked by Orcs, my Lord."

Thranduil nodded. "But that is not all, it would seem." Thranduil knew his son. As he gazed into Legolas' eyes, he noticed their storm-grey depths were averted. He was hiding something.

A look of reproachfulness at the subject flashed across Legolas sharp eyes, but was gone in an instant. He stood taller. "Yes, my Lord. There is more."

Adrolas looked over at his brother, suddenly interested. Legolas continued.

"The attack by the Orcs, my Lord, would seem to have been a diversion. They attacked quickly and did not stay long."

Thranduil's brow furrowed in thought. The Orcs had never before done anything such as what his son was explaining now, and he was doubtful. He would not believe so without proof. "What makes you believe it was a diversion, Legolas?"

Legolas sighed once again. "Before the attack, Father, we were accompanying the prisoner as per our orders. I allowed him to climb trees and such, as was suggested by friend Aragorn. In one rather large tree, the Oak in the western woods that stands apart from the others, he emplored to climb and I consented. He stayed aloft for more than an hour and Jeriel had become nervous at his absence, and it would seem that his worries were well merited, as they often are. It was then that I noticed I could no longer hear the sounds of Smeagol playing the trees above me. I did not have long to ponder this, however, for the Orcs were upon us. When the battle was ended, Smeagol was gone, my Lord."

Thranduil looked contemplative for a moment before replying. When he finally did, it was evident that his words were very controlled. "Legolas," he said, not wanting to waste anymore time than had already been wasted. "You should be reprimanded for your lack of attentiveness, but now is not the time. Every moment that we speak, the prisoner is farther and farther from our grasp, and we must find him. He was put in our care for safekeeping, and in loosing him, you will disgrace the name of our kingdom. Jeriel, Adrolas, and you are my finest and fastest scouts. Go, my son, and seek out the prisoner, and do not return until you have found some sign of him at least."

Legolas and Adrolas bowed at the shoulders once again, and left the room. Adrolas looked to his brother and smiled. "You have gotten yourself into quite a mess this time, brother. Losing the prisoner?" Adrolas chuckled and shook his head. "Father should have sent me. I would not have let him from my sight."


	3. Brotherly Love

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Author's Note: After an eternity, I've finally updated! Okay, see the problem was I thought I'd completely lost interest in this story, but I'd been talking to Silivin and to Tziganecelt, and I had a huge Monsoon of a brainstorm, so now I've finally updated.

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Disclaimer: Okay, Legolas, Thranduil, Smeagol, Elrond, Gandalf, and Aragorn are all the property of J.R.R. Tolkien. I don't own them in the least, because if I did I would have a much nicer house and a better computer. I do own Adrolas, Narius, and Neviara. Tziganecelt owns Jeriel. Oh yeah, I've never seen anyone mention this but Mirkwood, the Misty Mountains, and Rivendell all belong to Tolkien also.

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Foreshadows in the Woods: Part III

"Brotherly Love"

"Legolas, You are a fool." 

Legolas, who had been searching the endless paths and twisting ways of Mirkwood for hours now, was loosing patience with his younger twin. He looked up from the moss-covered earth before him to glance over his shoulder to Adrolas. "Yes, tell me again, Adrolas, how I am such a fool." He said with obvious distain.

Adrolas, who had been a few paces behind his slight older brother, strode toward him with an air of importance. Legolas rose to meet his cynical gaze. "How are you such a fool, brother?" Adrolas asked, a slight mocking smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "If you wish to know then I shall tell you." Legolas looked patient. "You are a fool because you are not cautious. You sit back and revel in the beauty and majesty of Mirkwood and let prisoners slip through your too loose grasp! Father should have assigned me to this task! I would have kept my alert eyes on him every second he was in my quite capable supervision! You are obviously not capable enough-"

Legolas stood straighter, a look of grave severity laced his delicately handsome face. Anyone could have passed and known it had no place there. He then interjected. "Yes Adrolas, I made a mistake. A dreadfully large mistake-"

"Your largest yet, Legolas." Adrolas interrupted to point out.

"Yes, my largest yet." Legolas took a deep breath before continuing. He looked as though he were going to say more, but only paused and turned back to his previous task.

Adrolas looked after his brother as one would look to a cat that had spoken. "Legolas!" He called after his brother. "You would turn your back to me?"

"I would turn my back to a senseless exchange of words." Came Legolas' blunt reply as he moved to catch up with Jeriel, who had gone ahead.

Adrolas increased his speed to overcome his brother. "No words you exchange with me are pointless, brother!"

Legolas wheeled on his brother as he approached. "Your petty exploits of my mistakes are pointless!"

Adrolas' eyes blazed. His anger quieted his voice to just above whisper. "You are a fool, and you do not even know it."

Legolas' handsome face what contorted with rage and it flowed through his lilting voice and a hot ember wafts on a breeze. "Yes, _brother!_" Brother sounded more as a curse than as an address. "You keep telling me this, but you fail to show me why, or even how!" Legolas stepped toward his brother and a glint of hatred flashed across his thunderstorm eyes. For centuries he'd dealt with his brother's constant annoying prattle. His father was very strict, very pointed in his ways, and Adrolas never ebbed in his ability to make Lord Thranduil's punishments more unbearable. Legolas had had enough. Something in him snapped. 

Adrolas saw the unebbing fury in his brother's eyes and straightened, for he recognized it. It was the rage of a man who had lost control of himself. It was the rage that burned within a murderer's eyes. He tensed; ready for the blow his brother intended to deal him, though it pained him deeply to see his brother so full of unbridled fury. What had he done do deserve his brother's wrath...?

Legolas lunged at his brother, but jerked back suddenly as a strong arm, as yet unseen, wrapped around his neck an pulled his struggling to the ground. Legolas fought with the fury of a madman.

Adrolas started and drew his sword, ringing, from it's scabbard, and swung, intending to fend off his brother's attacker, but his sword was met by one of superior skill, and their union rang through the trees. Adrolas looked hard into the black depths of Jeriel's eyes. 

Adrolas seemed to come to his senses and resheathed his sword, then looked down to his brother, who lay motionless on the moss-covered ground. Adrolas looked back to Jeriel. "What have you done to him, Jeriel?" Adrolas asked, for the first time, his voice was not laced with sarcasm or arrogance, but with brotherly concern.

Jeriel stood and sheathed his sword as well. "I have nothing but render him unconcious. He needs to regain himself before he confronts you again, Elirius." He said pointedly.

Their eyes met once again and Adrolas knew that he had gone too far. Had their sibling rivalry escaladed so far that he could drive peaceful Legolas to such rage...?

They broke eye contact at once as they both noticed a hauntingly scent on the air. "Jeriel,..."

"Yes, Adrolas," Jeriel replied. "I smell it too. Orcs..."

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*Elirius is Adrolas' title. It means "Prince of Mirkwood"


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